Studying to become a pharmacist

Like other healthcare professions, the path to becoming a pharmacist in France is long and demanding. It reflects its level of importance within society. Before a student can apply for a job as a pharmacist, he or she must complete many years of training, combining in-depth theoretical courses in the sciences with rigorous practical applications. Whether working in pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry, research or hospitals, pharmacists play a crucial role in the management and distribution of medicines, as well as in advising and supporting patients.

To make the most of this article, we recommend you read our pharmacist job description!

Access to pharmacy studies and first year

After high school

Before entering higher education, aspiring pharmacists must obtain a scientific baccalaureate. Once this has been completed, students wishing to pursue pharmaceutical studies can choose between two options:

• The Parcours Accès Santé Spécifique (PASS)

• Introduced in 2020 to replace the former Première Année Commune aux Études de Santé (PACES), the PASS is a year of study combining a health major with a minor from another discipline. This structure makes it possible to diversify skills and offer avenues for reorientation.
• Students are assessed on the basis of continuous assessment and final exams.
• Those who pass can go on to study in the health sector.
• Those who fail can reorient themselves towards their minor before, if they so wish, trying their luck again.
• The PASS approach reduces the pressure of the former PACES exam, while diversifying students' skills.

• The Licence with Health Access (L.AS)

• Introduced in 2020 to diversify the range of training courses available in health studies, the L.AS is a course combining any major (law, humanities, economics, etc.) with a specific health minor (biology, physiology, etc.).
• At the end of the first, second or third year, and if they have passed the minimum requirements, students can apply to study pharmacy. They then sit specific exams. Depending on their performance, they will either be rejected or integrated into the second year of pharmaceutical sciences.
• The L.AS allows students to follow a diversified pathway, encouraging skills and reorientation.

Studying pharmaceutical sciences

The first cycle

This is the core curriculum common to all pharmaceutical science students. It lasts two years, and covers all the essential aspects of the profession. It combines theoretical courses such as physics, chemistry, biology, disease mechanisms, biological diagnostics, molecules, active substances and drug manufacturing.

In addition, the course includes a large number of practical exercises enabling students to carry out experiments related to the above-mentioned subjects, as well as pharmacy internships.

This phase culminates in the Diplôme de Formation Générale en Sciences Pharmaceutiques (DFGSP).

The second cycle

This two-year phase serves to deepen the knowledge acquired in the previous cycle. From the2nd semester of the 4ᵉ year, students choose one of the following three courses:

• Officine
• Industry
• Hospital and Biology

In 5ᵉ year, students carry out numerous internships in places related to their selected specialty, in order to gain initial experience. This will make it easier for them to settle into the job market.

This cycle culminates in the Diplôme de Formation Approfondie en Sciences Pharmaceutiques (DFASP).

Third cycle(s)

The short cycle

The 6ᵉ and final year of study is aimed at students who have chosen the pharmacy or industry pathways (see above). After supporting a thesis, it awards the Diplôme d'État de docteur en pharmacie.

It should be noted that most students who have followed the industry pathway often go on to prepare another complementary diploma (engineering, business or communications).

The long cycle

This cycle lasts 4 to 5 years, and is open to students who have opted to take a competitive entrance examination. It is aimed at students who have opted for the hospital and biology pathway. Depending on the results of the entrance exam and the professional project presented, students can choose between two specialties:

• Hospital pharmacy
• Medical biology

These final years of study are spent under the internship system, combining specialized teaching with full-time internships. This culminates in a thesis, leading to the Diplôme d'Études Spécialisées de docteur en pharmacie.

In short, it takes between 6 and 10 years of study to become a pharmacist, depending on the specialties chosen by students. It's a long and arduous path, but one that enables us to train the best possible pharmacists in a field where there's no room for error.

Want to read on? Then take a look at our pharmacist salary sheet or our pharmacy technician study sheet!